


They Came In Peace

by domesticmarkjin



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alien Invasion, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, End of the World, M/M, Science Fiction, Underground
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-05-17 17:45:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14836268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/domesticmarkjin/pseuds/domesticmarkjin
Summary: Forced underground after a devastating attack, the human race tries to rebuild as best it can. Life these days was pretty dark, a constant fight to survive filled with longing to return to the surface. To try and fix what the aliens took away. Not that their dystopian underground society isn't working, but after a while, the darkness can drive you mad.(Botanist Jinyoung finds a way to the surface after Aliens invade planet earth, and with the help of an unlikely friend fight to fix the devastation that had been done.)





	1. Fight To The Surface

They all saw it coming.

The end of the world as they knew it.

What you do when your final hours are approaching, says a lot about you as a person, what you do out of fear, reflects who your truly are. Because you can’t take back the things you did, and everyone will have to pay.

The earth failed it’s test. When it needed to think rationally, it reacted out of fear and misunderstanding, and for that, paid the ultimate price.

Extraterrestrial life had been discovered at last, though where they came from was unclear. They weren’t from any planet in the solar system, but had a decent understanding of how human life worked. They were gorgeous beings that called themselves The Zarflies, which humans started to call Zari’s for short. Human-like in appearance but with soft almost translucent skin in various shades of teal, green and purple, similar to if you had dropped a bath bomb in clear water and watched the color explosion start to swirl around the clear water. Some of the seemingly higher ranking Zari’s had gold and white wings that looked like a mix of an angel and a dragonfly but with ancient markings in them that reflected in the light. They wore simple clothes of flowing white and gold material though it seemed more iridescent than anything. Flowing purple and white hair was always tied in intricate braided styles that put any and all hair stylists to shame. Scientific minds had hope for the very first time they would be able to truly start learning about the universe through these creatures, they would find out about making peace and try to figure out the answers to life's greatest unanswered questions. Several weeks into the arrival of their otherworldly guests, the human race made an attempt at contact and seemingly it went over well. The effort was lead by the top scientists and political leaders in hopes of diplomatic equality.

For two years, the two races came together to try and form an understanding with one another, to find ways to make peace and unity. There were people for it, and people against it, as there had been for everything since the dawn of time. People would be crying and protesting that peace between the two races meant the end for humans as they knew it, others yelling back that this would create a brighter future if only the human race would open its eyes and finally learn to play nice. Given that in those two years all the world's countries seemed to put most of their hostility against each other aside in an effort to learn more about the outside world’s, a vote was cast around the globe and the verdict was that all would behave until a better understanding of life among the stars was reached. This was a giant victory for the scientific community, and seemingly brought peace around the world in ways that before this were never thought possible. It puts the world into perspective when you learn you’re not the only ones out there, and that a far older more powerful race had learned about you. Now you were the ones under a microscope even though they came to Earth first. 

From there, things went well for another year, the human race was growing at a rate never before. Illnesses were being cured, technology was advancing, and the hope of flying cars was quickly becoming a reality at last. 

Until one dark day when one of the world leaders had decided power was more important than understanding, that science was a myth and went against the worlds peace treaty by launching an attack on a ship that he thought was too close to his home. As soon as the missile was launched, all hope was lost for the human race. A sad display by a once powerful nation that had fallen into the hands of a con man, who knew nothing of how the world worked, caused what would go on record to be the day the world officially ended. The biggest mistake in human history. The other species responded quickly with an attack the world would seemingly never recover from.

Nobody wanted a war, everyone had been striving for the opposite since the creatures arrived. They didn’t know their full power even though humans were more than willing to talk about their own. Maybe to a fault. It gave the Zariflies time to analyze the true strength and weakness of the world and use that against them when the time came, a move nobody saw, though many had warned was a possibility. That’s why peace was the idea route, because they knew more about earth than earth knew about them, and that was a clear advantage for them.

When the time came for war, all hope had been lost. It didn’t seem to matter what the earth threw their way, nothing was strong enough to make a dent in anything they had. Guns were useless against their rapid healing skin, their ships had shields that no explosive could penetrate. They were able to adapt and overcome even the strongest of nuclear weapons by using their strongest power and biggest advantage over the human race. Advanced scientific technology that allowed them to do the one thing the human race had no way of fighting.

Atmospheric displation.

Human’s can’t fight back in an environment they can’t survive in. The humans had no choice but to flee in whichever way possible, in hopes of not being totally eradicated. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

D-2920 since the invasion had ended and the earth finally fell silent. 8 years and living situations were still not the greatest, but there was clean water and there was food. 

Sort of. 

Things were bad at first. A type of bad that made you wonder if dealing with the chaos above was the easier alternative than trying to survive down below. The ever growing fear, day in and day out, of not knowing what to do or where to go, trying to sleep while there was total chaos and panic around. Once clean drinkable water was found flowing under the earth and food had started to grow, there was hope that maybe things could actually work. That was more faith than anyone had in quite some time. Thankfully, when everything finally happened, human’s already had somewhat of a backup plan, albeit not a perfect one; but it was something. 

Cities all around the world had already started creating beautiful underground exhibits prior to finding out there was life other than their own. Especially cities that had underground subway systems and decided to re-work the settings to make things more enjoyable for passengers by creating giant underground malls, hotels under the sea, and research facilities tucked away for safekeeping. This helped set up a template for people to follow as the main infrastructure in creating their new world once things fell apart. 

A handful of the richest of the rich were smart enough to start digging down when the Zariflies first arrived in hopes of survival, if in the event a war ever occured. Designs and ideas also taken from ant colonies, historic bomb shelters and various end of days video games, where they depicted a world never thought to happen. All those crazy war veterans from ages ago that warned the world that aliens would invade, were laughing from their graves at the slew of people who called them crazy at suggesting they start to live underground in order to be safe.

At first the invite to go down was more of a lottery, a system of who was the most important that would be allowed into their makeshift dystopian be-all-end-all world, but eventually that whole concept got overthrown when the government picked up on what they were doing and made it clear you can’t save people based on the contents of their bank accounts, that innocent lives were not less important because of their social status. 

The Kim Kardashians of the world were not as valued as the intellectual brains that would help put the world back together, should anything go wrong, and when things did finally go wrong, it was realized that the government did the right thing by stepping in. The quickness that things got built was because of hard working hands, smart minds, and would be thanked when the time finally came for humans to move.

Under the earth, humans created a new world, digging roads, homes and stores into the foundation with the help of the scientific community to do it in a way that wouldn’t destroy the earth. It wasn’t perfect, but it became home. It had to. 

Earth had been destroyed. 

Eventually it all came to an end. Whatever problem they had with the humans, had seemingly been solved one day without word. All the people that had been held in captive were let go, the man responsible for the attack that started it all had been executed in the most gruesome public display the world had ever seen, the explosions on the surface halted and the ships left. 

Just like that. 

Everyday, people feared the end of it was not really here, that there was still more to come, but it didn’t matter anyway. The surface of the earth had been declared ruined to a point of no return. At least not any time soon. The entire atmosphere had been changed to accommodate it’s new owners which was not breathable by human lungs. The first few people to have gone up to the surface after everything settled down, didn’t come back in one piece. They lasted mere minutes on the surface before dying in a way future teams that found the mutilated bodies would call, a fate worse than death. Luckily, oxygen tanks and facial masks could be used to visit the surface for several hours at a time, though prolonged exposure to whatever radiation left behind wasn’t advised. It took them awhile to figure out just how to safely visit the surface; though at that point, it was decided there was no real need other than to collect whatever food and first aid they could find.

Eventually life started to carry on, humans were always a resilient race and had now found a new place to call home. Clothing was produced through whatever could be crafted and salvaged from military operated surface runs, bars opened as makeshift spirits came to ferment, and after a while things didn’t seem so bad. 

At least that’s what everyone kept telling themselves.

The underearth, as they called it, was comprised of circular levels ever working their way down. There was only roughly 1,800 miles of earth they could dig down to safely, but their hope was not needing to go below 900 for the protection and preservation of the earth.

The way it had been set up, at least for their little part of the world, was similar to that of a human-sized underground ant colony. A series of tunnels and pathways creating a network of downward spirals. Each section had a number and a color to make it easier to delegate where people belonged, and where workers needed to go. The higher up to the surface you were, the more powerful you were considered. It had the best working electricity, running water, and newly developed wifi network. 

Strong measures had been put in place to try and prevent average people from venturing out to the surface, and after a while people stopped trying. The human race was content to keep digging down and perfecting their dystopian underground world, silencing any that wanted to step back into the light and put everyone at risk.

Jinyoung hated that.

Hated walking by the upper levels and seeing the giant glass skylights that had been put in place. Seeing the crystal blue sky above just begging for attention, feeling the warmth from the sun radiating through the thick protective military grade glass but never truly enjoying it the way it was made to be enjoyed. Jinyoung was only ever allowed on the upper floors to do touch-up work, ensure that no leaks were getting in from the world above and that the oxygen levels in the units were stable. Every day he thought about using the back passages to find a way to the surface. Stealing the supposedly broken preservation suits and seeing for himself just how bad it really was.

He’d done it once, but that was a long story for a different time.

Circuit workers or inspectors, as they were called, weren’t permitted to go to the surface. Their job was to secure the world around them, and keep making sure that things would continue to work the more the world started moving down as the population started to grow again. On the surface, Jinyoung had been a renowned botanist, obsessed with plants and their benefits to the environment. Most people called him a tree hugger, scoffing at how there was no use in his research and how he needed to find a real job that wouldn’t shame his family name. It was easy to ignore on the surface when he had support of others in his field, but down below it seemed all he had left in life were a few seed specimens, photos of his family and a lone potted plant he could grab from what once was his apartment. 

He had no idea what it was, an undocumented flower he’d found on a trip to a nearby island when he was still in college, but it meant everything to him. It was his last reminder that there once was something beautiful and vibrant born in the sun before the world moved into darkness. Don’t get him wrong, as a botanist he took soil very seriously, so living under the world wasn’t exactly unexciting to him. Getting to see all the layers of the earth and discover what minerals and benefits they held was every bit important to the health of the plants they were trying to grow to feed the population, but he wasn’t allowed in that area even though he’d petitioned several times for job replacement. Why was a botanist not allowed to garden? It made no sense to him.

A workers schedule was always random. They worked when they worked, time was a bit warped in a world with little to no light. Once his shift was done for the day, Jinyoung threw everything into a locker and met up with a few of his friends that had been lingering around the office. They went by bells. A bell would ring every morning signaling the start of a day, which Jinyoung had figured out was at 8 in the morning, a few hours later another bell would signal what typically was a lunch hour, which he guessed was 2 in the afternoon; and then a final bell at night which either meant shift changes at work, or curfew on days when the world was a bit more dangerous, at around 8 in the evening. They didn’t have to be in their rooms by final bell, but it was recommended. 

For the 8 years since they had moved below, things had come together decently. Everything looked as old Sci-Fi movies predicted the end of days would. Gone were all the glittering signs and smooth paved roads, in place were makeshift travel paths covered in sautered together metal. Whatever debris they could dig up from the surface any time supply runs were conducted, became decorations to make it less depressing. The aesthetic for the lower level citizens was very much run down space motel that had barely survived a zombie apocalypse. Which Jinyoung found fitting given if you replace zombies with Aliens, that was exactly what happened. 

The end of his shift had come, final bell rang which meant he could relax again. Leaving the control room, Jinyoung padded his way down the dimly lit hallway for the locker room. Inside was his roommate and what he’d consider his best friend, and a few other people who looked to be just starting their days.

“Jackson found a way to the surface, an abandoned chamber in south cross up on level zero.” Jaebum whispered, looking at Jinyoung as he got closer. Jinyoung pretended there wasn’t weight to his words as he nodded his head, slinging his bag over his shoulder casually as he shut the door to his locker.

“For the three of us?” Jinyoung added, looking to Jackson, then Jaebum, who nodded his head and pulled his hat lower over his eyes. The three started walking through the hallways towards the elevators, pressing the down button once they got there.

“There are five suits in not the best shape, but they work. We won't be able to be out there long but it’s more than we’ve ever had before. I’ve scanned the area every day for the last week and we should be okay if we take the 9 elevator and sub route before mid bell.” Jackson said, looking at the door as it opened, Jinyoung nodded his head in agreement, smiling to himself before the three of them got on the elevator. Once out of the main hall and out of view, they all looked at each other in understanding.

“We have to act fast, but not… we have to do it right this time. Yugyeom is still paying for last time.” Jinyoung sighed, remembering getting caught the first time they tried to make it to the surface, and how Yugyeom had taken the fall for the master plan, moving him to bottom level excavation duty ever since, in order to stop any further thoughts of heading to the surface.

“We will go in a few days, we’re all scheduled for hatch repair in that wing I saw the schedule posted in the office this morning.” Jaebum said, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at his two friends. They both nodded in understanding.

“We need to go sooner. Before someone else finds out about it and prevents us from getting there.” Jinyoung commented when the door opened, two officers were waiting. Bowing their heads, the three friends left the elevator and made their way down the sub section for the local bar.

“We shouldn’t be going at all, we’re doing this for you. To prove a point to you.” Jackson sighed, leaning back against the door. Jinyoung looked down at his feet, having to bite his tongue and not argue back as they made their way through a series of hallways until they came to the familiar half working neon lights of the Last Shift Bar.

Inside it wasn’t perfect, but to them it felt like home. Bar’s weren’t really as popular as they had been on the surface, mostly because the spirit world was still pretty slacking given the lack of natural ingredients needed to create alcohol. It was more jail style hooch than anything, popular mostly with the fixers and diggers after their shifts ended. This particular bar was run by a boy named Youngjae who on the surface had been a music teacher. How he got started creating bottom drink, as they called it, nobody knew, but to Jinyoung and his friends it was the best around.

The decor was put together by bits of scrap, mostly wooden or metal counters fixed to concrete structures. The stools were made of hard uncomfortable metal that had old towels folded up and duct taped to make more tolerable. The whole place painted in a rather American swing diner style, despite the lack of food service. You’d think it was made in the 70’s by the deteriorated look to everything despite the establishment being just two years old.

Sliding onto their typical stools, Youngjae didn’t need to ask what they wanted, there wasn’t a giant selection. He simply set down three chilled glasses and poured in three different kinds of drinks before standing back with a smile on his face. Raising an eyebrow, Jinyoung held up the glass and looked it over before turning his attention to Youngjae. His eyebrow raised in a question he couldn’t find the words for.

“Hear me out, I know a guy who managed to get me strawberry extract…” Youngjae smiled wide, looking ever so proud of his concoction as he ran a rag over the dented and scuffed up makeshift counter.

What he was cleaning nobody ever knew, but they didn’t question it. It was probably just for aesthetics.

“But then why is it purple, aren’t strawberries red?” Jackson looked at Jinyoung before holding up his own glass full of an orange liquid.

“Yes but the yeast that I used to make it is purple, so this one came out purple.” Youngjae shrugged, pushing them all to drink before he vanished behind the counter to go check on his many mixes. Jinyoung just sighed and took a sip, his face crumpling up in a near painful wince as the moonshine style beverage made its way down his throat. The familiar burn of Youngjae’s drinks mixed with a flavor he could never quite put his finger on.

“Not getting any strawberry.” Jinyoung added, taking another sip.

“I can taste it… or maybe I just want to badly enough.” Jackson looked at the glass as if it were alive before he set it down and looked to Jinyoung.

“So how’s the race to the surface going?” Youngjae asked, returning with a bottle of something green that made Jinyoung’s insides do a flip, he covered the lid of his glass and shook his head no at the thought of Youngjae pouring him any. 

“Relax, this is not for you.” Youngjae assured, setting the bottle down on the end of the counter.

“Going well, think we finally figured it out.” Jaebum commented, setting his now empty glass to the side.

“What are you going to do when you get up there? From what everyone says it’s just dust and dirt now.” Youngjae’s heart hurt at the thought, the sadness in his eyes obvious and shared with those sitting in front of him.

“I heard there are still buildings, that not everything is ruined. I want to find out for myself but I don’t have high hopes…” Jackson sighed, running his finger along the condensation covering the glass.

“I just want to feel the sun… feel the warm on my skin again. I want to see trees, and grass…” Jinyoung heard his friends groan, hanging his head a bit, he quickly downed the last of his drink before standing up.

“The tree hugger misses running through the forest with all his woodland creatures.” Jaebum teased, and if Jinyoung didn’t know he was kidding he would have went off on him. But they had an understanding and Jaebum knew how important this was to Jinyoung. He knew where he came from and how badly he longed for some sort of normality in his life again. He also knew how badly he missed his plants and his research. His comments were in jest, though Jinyoung had enough for the night.

“Who knows, maybe we might find a wheel or two of your old bike.” Jinyoung shot back and Jaebum sat upright, the annoyed look on his face was fake and they both knew it.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Jinyoung threw down a few coins onto the countertop and took his leave, the two friends watched him go with a sad sigh before turning back to their drinks.

“You think he will find what he’s been looking for on the surface?” Youngjae asked, scooping up the coins and adding them to his box. Jackson shrugged, turning to look at Youngjae finally.

“No. I think going up there will be devastating for him. He’s going to see how destroyed everything is and give up all hope of being able to fix it. But he won't rest until he goes up, I’m not about to try and stop him again. He has to learn on his own that even though this is hell, it’s better than the alternative.” Jackson added, remembering all the talks he’d had with Jinyoung in hopes of getting him to be okay with their new way of life. Hours of trying to explain the things he’d found out falling on deaf ears time and time again. He didn’t want their trip above to be a wakeup call for Jinyoung, but maybe it was what he needed.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jinyoung’s quarters were on the 62th level in the 8th grid. He shared a unit with Jaebum and their roommate Bambam who worked in the clothing sector on the 18th level. Apartment units were comprised of a living quarter which would be considered a living room, a bathroom that came with a decent sized shower, a kitchen, and three sleeping chambers. The ground was covered in a more well laid out higher quality metal which gave people a feel of actual stability rather than the dodgy concrete and broken bits that had been laid outside, the electric worked most of the time and the showers were always cold but it was something to call home. Luckily for them, Bambam had taken to hanging various scraps of fabric around the place to brighten up the dull gunmetal gray color scheme that seemed to be infesting their new world.

Entering in his access code, the light on the door flashed green for approval and the metal door slid to the side allowing Jinyoung entrance. The lights were already on, meaning Bambam was already home from work. Leaving his boots by the door with the other scattered about shoes, he walked through the living space and straight for the bathroom. 

“The water is actually warm today.” Bambam commented, not looking up from his sketches as he laid his slim body out more. His sketchbook balancing in his lap. Jinyoung knew that later Bambam would run to him to show him what he was working on, calling it the best thing to hit lower earth since the invention of the reversible water boot. As Jinyoung walked by the sofa he glanced down at the page and grimaced at the sight of a men’s crop top, more so because Bambam always tried to get Jinyoung to model his new ideas.

“Really?” Jinyoung humored him though as he made his way to the bathroom door, pushing the button on the right side of it to open the bathroom hatch for him.

“Or maybe I just want it to be, so I imagined it…” Bambam shrugged, snuggling his slim body down against the ratty beat up sofa they had grown to love over time. It was a wreck. A makeshift sofa at best compiled of shotty bits of old foam and metal bars sewed together with whatever fabric Bambam had left over. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it gave them an air of normalcy and nobody else below the 10th floor had a sofa, so he’d take it for what it was. 

“Imagine... warm water.” Jinyoung ended the conversation, walking into the bathroom before the door could close on him. 

As the door shut behind him, the bathroom lights flickered to life. Jinyoung walked towards the shower stall and turned the knob all the way up as far as it would go to release the water. It always took about 3 minutes for the water to actually start pouring which was just enough time for Jinyoung to to get out of his clothes and do a little bit of self loathing in the mirror. 

Staring at himself in the makeshift mirror, he noticed the dirt covering his cheek, neck and collar bones. Making a face at the state of himself as soon as he heard the water start to hit the ground, he turned and walked under the spray. It wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t as cold as usual. A welcome change to be sure. Jinyoung washed the important parts first. Got the dirt off his face, neck, and hands before cleaning his hair. Standing under the water to rinse the soap off his body, Jinyoung thought to himself about if this life could ever feel normal to him, if he could ever listen to Jacksons words and be able to adapt at life away from the sun. 

He knew that dwelling on it made you go mad. There were people littering the streets day in and day out, the homeless of the undercity that let the depression of their circumstances get the better of them. People that would sit on the streets, pressed up against the cold walls, mumbling about missing the light of day, about a better world and better times. Generally overlooked but Jinyoung feared he’d be one of them in a few years if he kept dreaming of reaching the surface.

If he truly didn’t find what he was looking for on this venture, maybe he would give up for good. 

Maybe.

The shower clicked off, the 15 minute timer expired, letting Jinyoung know his allotted amount of water was done for the day. Stepping out of the stall, he dried his body off, making sure he didn’t miss anything before heading out of the bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist. He heard Bambam in their kitchen, no doubt making some kind of root soup that seemed to be popular among the mid level people. The one good thing about living so deep in the earth was the rich soil that lead to a variety of well grown fruits and vegetables. 

“Dinner soon.” Bambam called from the kitchen, hearing the bathroom hatch shut again, Jinyoung mumbled a reply before typing in the code to his bedroom door. The light flashed green and slid to the side, allowing him entrance.

His room was as nice as he could make it. He’d traded a skateboard he had found laying around level two for a few cans of paint a year into living in his sector and painted the metal walls of his bedroom to look like a forest. Trees and grass along the walls, the ceiling a bright sunny sky with simple little clouds. Anything to make him feel more comfortable and at home in his tin can of a living space. His bed was pushed against the far left wall, two lockers near by held the only clothes he possessed. He had managed to snag a few pictures and magazines from the evacuation which he had taped to their metal doors for decoration. Every room came with a desk, on his was a laptop that held a few downloaded movies and games he’d play when he was bored, and next to it sat his beloved plant. Still thriving outside of natural light thanks to special bulbs Jinyoung had made sure he grabbed upon evacuation. He rigged a makeshift sun lamp to help it thrive while he was away during the days. 

Sitting down at his desk, Jinyoung smiled at the plant, feeling the soil before adding a little water to it.

“There you go, feel better?” He asked, feeling one of the soft petals before he turned his attention to his laptop, turning it on, figuring he’d keep working on his plan to try and bring oxygen back to the earth. He smiled at his desktop, a picture of his parents who he hadn’t seen since the day the attack came. He didn’t know if they survived, or if they had died, but he liked to think they were in a different world like his own, and if they kept digging, one day would reach wherever his parents were. 

There wasn’t really a stable working internet below, not one you didn’t have to pay an insane amount of money for. Jinyoung was thankful Jaebum needed the internet for his work in the electric section of the digging union and they were allowed access to it so he could work from home if need be. Half the websites once readily available, had crashed due to no servers being around to keep them up, long gone was Facebook and Twitter, though some Youtube videos seemed to still be working, which was a question for another day. There was a new mail server that everyone that had access to the internet was required to use for updates regarding their new home.

Opening his document information, Jinyoung started looking through the research he’d managed to get. In another tab he opened the little secure chat server that had used by people in the underworld that were trying to keep things hidden from the ever seeing government. They had managed to hack a seperate server still working on the surface and talk to each other about what was really going on below the surface. He saw a little notification that meant he had a missed message, though he didn’t register the name as someone he’d ever spoken to. Clicking on the box, a message popped up, seemingly innocent enough.

UNKNOWN: Hello… I hope this is working. I’m trapped, somewhere? I can’t get home. Please come save me. I’m scared.

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow, sitting closer to the computer screen as he typed. The message was dated several hours ago, but perhaps the person was still online.

JINYOUNG: Hello, I received your message. Where are you trapped?

The reply was almost instant.

UNKNOWN: Thank god… I need help. I’m trapped on the surface, I can send you my location if you can please come.

Jinyoung’s eyes went wide. The… surface. He adjusted in his seat a little, making sure to mark his status as busy so he could focus just on his one conversation.

JINYOUNG: Nobody is on the surface, it’s uninhabitable. 

UNKNOWN: I’m trapped in a garden, I was visiting… I think it’s called Seoul Botanical Gardens. Please come help. I’m scared.

Jinyoung wasn’t sure what to make of this message, sitting there in total shock for what felt like ages. He heard a hatch outside his open and rushed to open his door. Jaebum had gotten back and was heading into his room. Jinyoung yelled his name, waving him over. Grumbling about being tired, Jaebum rubbed his wet head and walked over to Jinyoung’s room.

“Can’t it wait until morning, we finally have a day off, I want to sleep.” Jaebum protested, Jinyoung just rolled his eyes and moved to sit Jaebum down in his desk chair. Jaebum’s eyes scanned the computer for a moment before he sat upright. He rubbed his eyes, maybe there was water left from the shower in his eyes making his vision blurry.

“What is this…” Jaebum questioned, typing a few things in to see where the address of the computer in use was coming from.

The only benefit to Jaebum being a world class hacker was his skills at uncovering anything he wanted when it came to computers. He’d been imprisoned just before the attacks happened for trying to get access into the government files to find out what was going on with the Zari’s. When everything came crashing down they figured his skills could be used to help set up a network underground for easy communication, a benefit to both him and Jinyoung when they started making a plan to return to the surface, to find a way to bring back oxygen to the surface.

UNKNOWN: Hello… please don’t tell me I lost you. I’m scared. Please come save me. 

UNKNOWN: Hello. Jinyoung?

Jaebum’s eyes went wide, turning to Jinyoung.

“How does it know your name?” He asked, Jinyoung leaned in and moved to push Jaebum out of the way.

JINYOUNG: How do you know my name?

UNKNOWN: I typed Park Jinyoung into this strange message box… your name is on the office door? I figured I might reach you.

JINYOUNG: You’re in my office? At the Seoul Botanical Gardens?

UNKNOWN: I think so… please come save me. What is happening?

JINYOUNG: How have you been surviving?

Unknown user has been DISCONNECTED. Network Error 656-7

Jinyoung whimpered, tapping a few keys on his keyboard until Jaebum leaned over and tried to trace the original message. GPS didn’t work anymore, but maybe he could try and pull up a geographical location somehow. 

“We have to go to the surface tomorrow. We all have the day off. We… we have to go.” Jinyoung whimpered, getting up from his chair. Jaebum sighed, hands going to his hips as he looked down at the computer. 

“We don’t even know where we are under the earth to know how long it will take us to get to the gardens.” Jaebum reminded, and if the suits weren’t in the best shape they might not make it safely.

“I don’t care, he’s… he’s in my office. That means my plants… they might still be there. We have to go. Please we have to go.” Jinyoung whimpered, sinking down on the edge of his bed. Jaebum sighed, watching Jinyoung for a moment before he got up and opened his door. 

“I’ll tell Jackson, we will leave at first bell.” He added and took his leave. Jinyoung fell back against the bed, his mind racing at an unknown speed.

Someone was in his office, at his old job, on his work computer somehow tapping into their underground world. What was better was his plants, his life, they were keeping him alive. Jinyoung was over the moon excited at the prospects of there being hope left for them.

Needless to say he didn’t sleep that night, nothing helped to calm his nerves as he thought about the person on the surface calling for help. He checked his computer several more times through the night, hoping the connection between him and the stranger on the other end of the network would re-established. It wasn’t until around 5 in the morning that it did.

UNKNOWN: Hello?? Are you there… Please help.

Jinyoung heard the notification sound and bolted upright, rushing to the computer.

JINYOUNG: Yes! Yes I’m here. I promise I’ll come help you… I have to find a way to the surface.

UNKNOWN: What do you mean? Are you not on the earth… oh no. Did they take everyone? Is that why I can’t find anyone? Where are you?

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow, how did this person not know what had been happening.

JINYOUNG: I’m below the earth with all the other humans, I have to be careful. Humans are not allowed on the surface anymore.

UNKNOWN: I’m not sure what that means. Why are you not allowed outside?

Jinyoung rubbed his face, was this person knocked unconscious? How had they been surviving the last few years in his office. Sure there was a ton of food there, but not years worth.

JINYOUNG: What’s your name?

UNKNOWN: Name… Where are you, please save me.

Jinyoung whimpered, feeling something so strange in his chest. Who was this person? Where were they really? How were they surviving? He had so many questions that he wanted answered. He needed to go. He needed to see this for himself.

UNKNOWN: Here… This is where I am, can you come save me?

Jinyoung clicked the attachment, sitting back in awe at what he was seeing. It was a map of the area, with a little target drawn over where this unknown person was. Jinyoung took a deep breath, printing the picture out before he heard a knock at his door. He pressed the button to open the hatch, seeing Jaebum standing there fully dressed.

“First bell is in five minutes, let’s go.” Jaebum said, Jinyoung nodded and turned to his computer quickly. 

JINYOUNG: I am leaving today to come… I promise I will find you today. Before the sun sets. Wait for me.

UNKNOWN: Thank you. I will wait Jinyoung, I promise you.

Jinyoung shut his laptop, giving his plant a little bit of water before he left the room. Bambam was rubbing his eyes as he walked out of his own room, making a face as the three of them made their way to the front door. Right on time, the doors unlocked and Jinyoung was able to slip into his shoes opening the door. They stepped out into the main hallway along with everyone else, all of them listening to the speaker system that had been set up through the entire unit with the help of Jaebum. 

“Morning Seoul Sector 65. The radiation levels are holding and under control. Diggers on call are to report to Level 112 for assignments. Blue, Green and Black are permitted to go to food call. That is all.” The radio clicked, Jinyoung rolled his eyes and turned to Bambam. 

“We will be home for soup later.” He said, Bambam nodded knowing what that meant. With the cameras all over the place they knew better than to talk about what they were doing.

“I’ll have it ready by last bell.” He stated and went back inside. Jinyoung and Jaebum slung their bags over their shoulder and made their way to the elevators, meeting up with Jackson.

“You guys ready?” He asked, Jinyoung nodded his head and looked at the elevator as the doors opened. Several workers got out, leaving it empty for the three of them. Once the door was locked and the elevator started moving up, Jaebum swiped his card, granting them access to the upper floors. He had free range for the top 6 levels to get his work done, that’s where all the towers were that they had managed to get running. 

Jaebum paused the cameras as Jinyoung and Jackson escaped through the top hatch of the elevator. Standing on the surface, they got the door shut just in time for the elevator doors to open. Jaebum leaned against the door as two officers walked in, glancing at Jaebum.

“Are you allowed up here?” One officer asked, folding his arms over his chest. Jaebum pulled his blue badge from his pocket. Jinyoung and Jackson made every effort to keep quiet so they didn’t alert the guards they were on the top.

“Cameras are glitchy, I was called.” Jaebum shrugged. The cops looked at the badge and nodded.

“Floor zero needs work. Get to fixing the sub section servers quickly please.” They confirmed, riding the elevator to the 3rd floor before they got out, When the elevator started to move again, Jaebum quickly climbed up the hatch with the help of Jackson and Jinyoung. They closed and sealed the hatch just as the elevator climbed up to floor zero. 

Looking around, Jinyoung spotted the little work hole for diggers to use when they needed to make repair work on the elevator systems, moving to the hanging ladder, he jumped up and started to climb his way to the hatch, the seal was rusty but with a bit of muscle he managed to use his strength to pry it open. Pushing the door open, he slid up and out, taking him closer to the surface than he’d been in years. Jaebum and Jackson followed behind Jinyoung, looking around the abandoned section, the two following Jackson’s lead as he brought them to a closed off sector, Jaebum cut security to it, changing the wires to look as if they had just eroded over time by adding little cuts and knicks in them. Taking to the interface, Jinyoung worked on getting the five hatches opened nearby exposing surface suits. 

Jinyoung walked over with wide eyes, feeling the soft flexible material before starting to pull it on. He had been expecting large bulky space-like suits that would make their traveling a lot harder, but these felt more like secure spandex. They checked the oxygen levels in all the tanks, 4 held enough for roughly 42 hours of travel time. That was more than enough. He hoped. Once the suits were tight to their bodies and everything sealed to hopefully keep the radiation out, they knew it was now or never.

Jinyoung fixed the head peace, clicking it into place before he turned the oxygen on. Taking a few deep breaths, he held his thumbs up to the other two, showing he was good. The suit was reading a working status, everything looked good to go. Jackson and Jaebum had good luck too. Sealing the pods that held the suits so nobody that happened to stumble upon this area later would notice they were gone. Jinyoung waited for Jaebum to open the gates, he had to kill power to a few of the lower levels to get the exit hatch up and running to let them outside. He knew they were all taking great risks doing this. Looking to Jaebum and Jackson as the doorway opened, Jinyoung gave them both a nod.

“Lets go boys.” Jinyoung said, taking a few steps down the hallway towards the final hatch. The door behind them closed, sealing them in. Jaebum waved a kemni tool near the interface to grant him access to the surface. The hatch hissed at first before it lifted up, all of them winced at the bright raw sunlight that started to flood in as the door was lifted. Jinyoung activated the sun shield on the helmet to help with his adjusted eyes as they took a few steps out of the unit and into the light of day for the first time since they were forced underground.

The three of them stopping dead in their tracks at what they saw before them.

There had been so many different stories about what the world looked like since the aliens had left. Some say the world was reduced to dust, all the buildings and structures had been decimated and the world was piles of ash and dirt. Some said it looked as it always had minus the humans and animals. That once thriving plants were replaced with whatever alien foliage was needed to sustain an altered atmosphere for the attackers to survive. Which didn’t make sense to some since the Zari’s didn’t seem bothered by oxygen but it was known that their world didn’t have any. None of the movies, or books could have prepared them for the devastation in their wake. It seemed to be a mix of the two stories people were telling. Not totally gone, but not in any way salvageable, destruction and chaos as far as the eye could see, causing their world to be near unrecognizable.

Jinyoung could tell they were in Seoul, that much he knew. Though where in the city exactly, he had no idea. Many of the buildings had been destroyed but not all of them were completely gone. No building was without damage and the glass of almost all their windows had long turned to dust. The biggest change was the introduction of giant strange, alive looking white and gold vines were wrapped around the crumbling infrastructures, the same markings on them as had been on the wings of the Zari’s. They seemed to be pulsing, alive almost, as they clung to decaying buildings. Jinyoung took a few more steps towards one of them, having to jump back when he heard a hissing sound and watched a vine snap out in an effort to grab him. Jackson pulled his arm yanking Jinyoung back, giving him a stern look like he needed to be more careful. The vine retracted back and a series of stunning, almost crystal-like flowers, started to grow in its place; working their way up the whole base and into the building it was tangled around.

“Don’t get excited, they aren’t plants.” Jackson warned, Jinyoung nodded his head, having to remind himself of that. Well they were, just not ones he was anxious to study.

Jaebum walked over to one of the nearby shops, the only building seemingly free from the pulsing vines. It was a gift shop for tourists, the door long gone from the hinges and most of the content abandoned on the floor, covered in a thick layer of dust. He walked inside and started to poke around for something that might help them figure out where they were. Jinyoung pulled the papers from his pocket, holding them out to try and see if anything on the map his unknown user sent him looked familiar. Jaebum found several flashlights and packs of batteries still in their packages, along with a few glow sticks that might help them if they were out when it was dark. Jinyoung walked over with the map he had in his hand, laying it out on the counter, using tape to put the pieces together. 

“Where did you get this?” Jaebum asked, looking at the papers in Jinyoung’s hand.

“Unknown sent them to me.” He said softly. Jackson walked over and took a good look at the map that Jinyoung had, brushing his fingers along the weird light path that was on the pages before shrugging. The address to the shop was pointed out on the map hanging nearby and they were able to plan a safe route from where they were, to where the person needing help was. The map provided to them by the stranger on the computer seemed to show a decent amount of damage that they needed to avoid, as if it were a recent scan of the city which would be impossible.

“I don’t trust this, or whoever we’re going to find at all.” Jackson made clear, crossing his arms over his chest. Jinyoung just rolled his eyes, leaving the shop before the two could try and drag him back inside.

“I have to see who was trying to contact me.” Jinyoung made clear, map in hand, he started walking down the road.

The most depressing part of being on the surface was the amount of damage that had been done, and how there wasn’t a single living plant in sight. The trees had all died, the ocean of green that was once scattered along the streets in neat little patches and all the nearby parks gone. Reduced to dust. All that was left looked like burnt sticks sticking out of a pile of ash. Jinyoung touched what was once the bark of a gorgeous cherry blossom tree and watched it crumble in the palm of his hand before falling into a pile of dust on the floor. His heart hurt at the sight of how much devastation had been caused so quickly.

He sighed, his mind racing as he tried to take in what had become of the earth, eyes documenting every little thing they could as he walked close to Jackson and Jaebum. The three of them always on guard as they walked, staying clear of anything they could that looked dangerous or foreign. They were all actively trying to avoid the lifelike vines in case they tried to attack like earlier. 

A few roadblocks had them needing to make complicated detours through estranged run-down buildings before their destination was at last in sight, total travel time from leaving the underworld to their final destination was 8 hours and 27 minutes. The Seoul botanical gardens was a giant area comprised of both new world and old world. The whole campus was a series of old temples, water gardens, prayer areas, all leading to the center which was shiny and new. The traditional temples and gardens were mostly laid to ruin in front of the giant glass main building that had seen better days but seemed to be generally unscathed by the destruction. Inside housed the more rare plants they had been able to find, along with a giant growing gardens similar to that of a enclosed rainforest. Jinyoung started to tear up at the sight of a place he once thought of as home. A place he found peace and sanity in a rather insane world. Sinking to his knees in front of a display of destroyed rare flowers he worked on right before the attacks came, Jinyoung reached his hands out to cup the ruined soil as he remembered just how vibrant and alive it had been at one point. Jaebum walked over to Jinyoung, giving him a moment to process what he was seeing. To comfort his friend, he put his hand on his shoulder to let him know he was there before he picked him up again. Jinyoung couldn’t wipe at his eyes, so the tears continued to run down his cheeks as they walked further towards the main building.

The first thing Jinyoung noticed were the crystals. Giant ones sprouted from the base of the building, almost as if they were fortifying the dome. The only place they didn’t cover was the giant glass dome and the front entrance. They were gorgeous, the way the light shone off them, Jinyoung knew he’d be blinded if he wasn’t wearing his helmet. Stepping over broken glass and a beat up metal bench, Jinyoung knew how to get to his office like the back of his hand. Carefully they entered into the dome which from the inside was seemingly intact. Jackson looked around cautiously at the unbroken glass, how everything inside was still alive and thriving. Jinyoung ran over to the plants, his hands reaching for their beautiful green leaves. Hope swelled in his chest. 

They needed oxygen to survive… that meant.

“JINYOUNG DON’T!” Jaebum yelled as Jinyoung started to remove his mask, reaching to stop his friend, but it was too late. Jinyoung pulled the head piece off and took a deep breath.

Everyone watched him for a moment, waiting for the worst to come, but it didn’t.

“It’s air… clean… it’s clean air.” Jinyoung said shocked, looking around, confused as he ran down the main path and towards the back where his office was located. Jaebum and Jackson cautiously removed their masks before looking at each other in shock.

How.. 

Opening the door to his office, he saw it had been turned more into a makeshift living area. Sat in the corner reading one of his private journals was a man seemingly around his age. Slim, lightly tan skin, blue gray, almost purplish hair. He looked up when he saw the people walk in, quickly jumping to his feet, causing Jinyoung’s journal to fall to the floor. 

“Jinyoung?” The man said cautiously, Jinyoung nodded his head.

“Oh thank god!” Jinyoung watched as the man rushed to him, wrapping his arms around Jinyoung as if they were old friends. Standing there stunned, Jinyoung looked at his two friends as they walked into the room with a confused glance. He put his hands on the person hugging him’s chest, and gently pushed him away.

“Sorry but… are you okay? Are you… how. I have so many questions for you.” Jinyoung frowned, looking around his office confused. Jinyoung moved towards where his books were, removing the glove section of the suit to run his fingers along the spines of his many journals. All of them looked as if they had been read recently, none of them were in order anymore. Jinyoung could feel annoyance bubbling in the pit of his stomach before he turned to the stranger.

“I’m sorry. My name is Mark.” Mark explained, bowing his head in a respectful way before standing upright. 

“Mark. How have you been here this entire time?” Jaebum moved to stand next to Jinyoung, looking the stranger over.

“Can you get me out safely? I want to make sure everyone is okay. I need to know people are okay.” Mark chewed his lower lip, eyes full of worry as he wrapped his arms around himself.

“Are you looking for your family? That’s a lost cause. There are only a few thousand people left from our part of the world.” Jackson sighed, leaning against the desk nearby. Mark sunk down in a nearby chair, fingers coursing through his hair. 

“It wasn’t ever supposed to be like this. This was never supposed to happen.” Mark whimpered, walking over to the window. His hand carefully raised up to press against the thick glass as he looked out at the damaged gardens outside.

“No. But those fucking Alien creatures destroyed us.” Jackson rolled his eyes, bitterness and hate dripping over every word. Mark turned slowly to look at Jackson, leaning now against the window instead.

“Human kind attacked first, but they… would never do this willingly. Something went wrong. I know something went wrong.” Mark chewed at his lower lip, looking down at his feet as he twirled something that seemed to be tucked into his shirt. Clutching it as if for support.

“America did attack them, that’s what started all this shit. They got too big for themselves and that sorry excuse for a leader they had wanted to prove a point.” Jaebum reminded, Jinyoung kept a close eye on Mark not really paying attention to the conversation around him.

Jackson and Jaebum started to argue, going on about who was right and who was wrong. Nobody denied that humans attacked first but the level of retaliation was always the question. Was one bomb enough to destroy a whole world? It was a conversation heard day in and day out still to this day. When the argument started to heat up, Mark cleared his throat, snapping the two out of it to look at him. 

“What do you mean when you said this was never supposed to happen?” Jinyoung asked finally, his eyes still glued on Mark.

“I mean that there was supposed to be peace between the two races. The Zari’s are a peaceful people by nature, sure strong in power but peace has always been their main goal. They saw their share of war and vowed to never be the cause of that, it’s why they expanded to other planets to try and help them. There needs to be a way to fix this, to help the earth. That’s why I came here, humans need oxygen right? How can we bring the oxygen back to the earth, that’s what I’m trying to figure out.” Mark pushed himself off the window, moving back to Jinyoung’s journals. 

“There needs to be trees and plants that can create what we need, but the atmosphere is so toxic that would never happen now. There is no way for us to just plant something and hope for the best. Especially not with those weird venom vines around.” Jinyoung made a face at the thought, walking over to Mark who was flipping through an earlier notebook of his own. 

“They aren’t venom vines, nothing about them is toxic. They are holding together the infrastructure, they are trying to fix it.” Mark commented without looking up from the journals.

“They tried to grab and kill Jinyoung on the way here.” Jaebum stated, giving Jackson a look before he turned to Mark.

“Why are you defending the Aliens? Do you see what they did to our planet.” Jackson yanked the book out of Mark’s hand, pushing him back against the wall. Jinyoung shoved Jackson away, glaring at him.

“The hell is wrong with you?” Jinyoung growled, giving Jackson a dirty look before he turned to Mark.

“Humans are an angry abusive race, so young with so much to learn about compassion. What was done is not irreversible. This place is a perfect example. If we can find a way to use the vines left by the Zari’s… you mention in one of your journals the intricate ways the world can create oxygen, the vines are able to adapt to whatever atmosphere they are living in since their primary purpose is to heal, if we can get a source of oxygen to the main root of those vines, we can get them to produce oxygen and maybe have a fighting chance at bringing life back to the surface. But… how do we find the roots.” Mark slumped down against Jinyoung’s desk chair, looking up at the three bewildered boys. 

“How do you know all this?” Jinyoung asked again, moving to stand by the desk with his hands laid out on the wooden surface. 

“I’ve been up here for years alone, I had a lot of time to study them while I was trying to make contact with anyone. I had given up hope almost.. until you came along.” Mark sighed, shutting the journal and setting it down on the desk.

“We need to create a hybrid plant of the vine, and something from earth. Something to introduce to the world that might help in the reproduction of oxygen.” Mark felt like his words were falling on deaf ears, looking to Jinyoung for support.

“That would be possible if we were able to find a way to infuse the two, but no living plant can survive outside this building or down below and any plant I’ve introduced from here the two have just died. Nothing is close to the makeup of the vines and powerful enough to withstand drastic changes.” Jinyoung stood upright listening to Mark explain further, rubbing the back of his neck lightly.

“Then we use the underground. They’ve found stuff similar to the vines while digging on the upper levels to install computer servers. Up at the top levels near the surface it started to come through the soil, that’s why Yellow zone is closed off.” Jaebum spoke up, his features less harsh now that he had time to calm down and the conversation shifted to thoughts of actual hope.

“We would have to transport the plants from here, to the underground.. And that’s impossible. The second they leave this room they will die.” Jinyoung groaned, his mind racing to try and find a possible solution. 

“You have a plant underground.” Jackson chimed in, moving to sit on the makeshift bed that Mark had created.

“No. We’re not using that plant. No. It’s all I have left and what if this doesn’t work!” Jinyoung quickly shook his head no, the very idea was insane to him. This whole idea was a theory, there was no way of knowing if it would actually work.

“Does this plant not produce seeds we can use to grow a new one?” Mark asked, looking outside when he noticed it was getting dark. He peaked out the window and saw a storm in the distance, sighing to himself, he grabbed for a roll of tape under the desk and started to secure the windows better.

“I don’t think you guys are leaving tonight. These types of storms last for hours. Will you help me secure the place?” Mark tossed the boys their own rolls of tape, all of them looking at each other with worried expressions. They had work the following day, not that people ever noticed if someone didn’t show up for a shift or two. If there was trouble in your zone, most people didn’t leave their apartments. 

“How can we help?” Jinyoung asked, looking from the tape to Mark.

“This dome is pretty secure because of the vines and the crystals but you have to go tape the doors closed. There is wood and other things nearby to prevent the glass from breaking. Go tape everything together. I’ll start getting food prepared for all of us.” Mark bowed his head and left the room.

“Something is off about him, about all of this. How is this place untouched by what happened, yet the city around it is destroyed.” Jaebum said the second the door shut behind Mark. Turning to his friends, holding the roll of tape up.

“Don’t question it. We’re not underground, there is oxygen and he apparently has food? For now I’m willing to believe the whole vine story until we can find out more. Both of you need to control your temper, what has gotten into you today?” Jinyoung snapped, brushing by his friends to leave his office.

“What’s gotten into us?” Jaebum said to Jackson as Jinyoung was leaving, sighing to himself.

Heading to the doors, he saw the storm start to roll in, nothing like he’d ever seen before, which made sense since the environment was entirely altered. Generally there would be rain, thunder, lightning, but this all seemed so different. Whirls of wind that had streaks of lightning running through them swept debris up into the air making the dust and decay look like a haunting snow almost. There was no rain, it was all dry which confused him beyond reason. Then again, he didn’t have a full understanding of the new atmosphere around them to know if this was normal or not, only that it went against earth's general science. The crystal flowers that were on the vines seemed to vanish back into the vine for safety as the wind picked up, though the larger ones seemingly grew in hopes of protecting the dome. The sound of disintegrated glass hitting the sky dome mimicked the sound of raindrops in an eerie way, a dark reminder of things Jinyoung often took advantage of. Though this rain wasn’t something your children would play in.

Jinyoung helped Jackson and Jaebum get all the doors and loose glass secure around the main dome. There were bits of cardboard, planks of wood, and seat cushions set to the side with tape from previous storms still binding some of it together. It wasn’t hard to figure out how to secure the glass after everything they had done, making sure it would hold against the wind. After double checking every possible entrance he could think of, Jinyoung started to walk towards where the customer cafe area was while Jackson and Jaebum used the bathrooms. Jinyoung noticed the sound of someone humming in the distance and he figured that was the best place to find Mark.

The smell is what caught him off guard. It wasn’t the typical earth like dirt smell he’d become so adjusted to over the last few years, it smelled fresh. Clean almost. Setting the roll of tape down on the nearby table, Jinyoung walked closer to see Mark had rigged up a makeshift kitchen using catering candles and serving trays from when they held events. He was cooking… something... Jinyoung had no idea what it was, almost scared to ask, but it smelled delicious. Turning his body slightly when he heard Jinyoung walk closer, Mark smiled softly at him.

“I had a feeling you were still alive. Something inside of me told me that I found shelter in the right place.” Mark commented, moving to tend to the food before he blew the candles out so he wouldn’t waste them.

“Do you believe in stuff like that? Fate?” Jinyoung leaned against the counter, watching as Mark poured what appeared to be a thick soup into four different serving bowls over rice. Something Jinyoung hadn’t seen in years. Wanting to help, Jinyoung moved to look around for spoons they could use to eat.

“I’m not familiar with the word fate, but I do believe that through peace and hope things happen the way they are supposed to happen. That you were supposed to survive and that you want as much as I do for the world to be okay again.” Mark said, moving to take two of the bowls and set them on the counter before he went back for the other two.

“I used to be like that, holding out hope that the world would open its eyes one day and understand that we needed to take care of every aspect of it, not just personal greed and growth. That we’re nothing without our foundation.” Jinyoung sighed, looking down at his arm as he felt Mark’s hand rest near his wrist.

“What broke that thought process?” Mark questioned, a deep sadness to his voice that had Jinyoung feeling almost as if he’d caused Mark pain by his words.

“I had to move to the foundation and realized that true beauty had been lost long ago, and there was no true hope in saving it. That humans had this coming.” Jinyoung sighed, pulling his wrist away to move with his bowl and sit down at a nearby table. Mark frowned, chewing at his lower lip before he grabbed the food and sat near Jinyoung. Jaebum and Jackson joined with their own bowls a few moments later.

“Where did you get the vegetables?” Jackson asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The gift store has all these kinds of seeds and books on how to grow them. I’ve been using the water and soil here to make a garden. Gets a bit boring to eat but it works.” Mark shrugged, pushing the vegetables around the bowl before he started to eat.

“So you ran here when the attacks started and haven’t left?” Jaebum looked up from his food, jumping when something large hit the nearby outside wall. Mark seemed unaffected by it. 

“Yes. I laid low for some time but once I understood that there was nobody left that I needed to hide from, I started to make this place a home.” Mark shrugged, letting his spoon rest on the edge of the bowl before he looked up at the three boys. 

“We have to be back underground by tomorrow afternoon, meaning we have to leave here in a few hours. Will the storm be over by then?” Jinyoung asked, shrugging his shoulders, Mark looked over towards the giant skylights.

“It doesn’t look as powerful as the others, so probably 5 hours until it’s over? How long did it take you guys to get here? I laid out a path on the map I sent you from where the GPS told me you were.” Mark finished his food and set the bowl to the side. Jackson gave Mark a blank stare before pulling the map from his pocket, looking it over.

“What do you mean path?” He asked, laying it out on the table. Jinyoung and Jaebum grabbed their soup before he could knock it over. Mark looked down at the paper and traced his finger along a light gold line that ran from one direction to the gardens. Jinyoung looked closely and groaned, rubbing his hand over his face before he turned to Mark.

“I thought that was just a light spot on the paper and that I was running out of ink again.” 

“No. I took the grid of where I am and was able to connect it to your computer? I guess because this is your area, and you must be using your own computer in your new home, it was able to work. I typically don’t get maps but it loaded once we made a connection.” Mark explained, though none of them looked as if they were buying it. Nervously, he started twisting his fingers in the chain around his neck, the more the three stared at him the more uncomfortable he started to feel.

“None of this is adding up. You know what the vines are, you somehow have internet, and even though this place is secure, I can tell the air isn’t one hundred percent in here because I feel dizzy at times. So how have you been surviving?” Jaebum questioned, getting up to his feet. Jinyoung did as well, putting his hand on Jaebum’s chest to try and keep him back.

“Please, I just want to help.” Mark whimpered, quickly getting out of his chair. He put his hands up in defence trying to show he meant no harm.

“ANSWER ME!” Jaebum yelled, pushing Jinyoung to the side to get closer to Mark. Dodging his advances to get closer to Jinyoung. He didn’t know why, but Jinyoung seemed like the one he’d connected with the most, the only one understanding enough. 

“Don’t hurt him! What is wrong with you.” Jinyoung yelled, standing in front of Mark. Jaebum glared at the two of them before he turned to Jackson for support.

“Jinyoung, none of this makes sense! Something has to be going on.” Jackson said as calmly as he could, moving to grip Jaebum’s arm, pulling him back.

“This is not the way to get answers, this type of behavior is what caused this shit show to begin.” Jinyoung reminded, turning to face Mark. He hated how scared he looked, watching him fumble with a crystal necklace that was hanging around his neck on a long gold chain.

“How have you really survived this entire time? How do you have internet? How have you been able to contact people all by yourself.” Jinyoung asked calmly, looking at Mark in a way that was almost begging him to answer them.

“I fixed the servers in this area with the help of solar energy, and I was serious about the garden, I can show you it…” Mark whimpered, looking at the three men. “Please, I didn’t call for help to be attacked, I’ll stay here alone if it makes you more comfortable.”

“What is this shit! This is the same crystals growing outside everywhere.” Jaebum reached out to snatch the chain from Mark’s neck. Mark moved quickly to prevent it from breaking, the metal digging into the back of his neck painfully.

“Don’t touch it! Let it go. Please I don’t want any trouble. I want to help.” Mark begged, Jinyoung tried to get Jaebum off him but the two were pulling so forcefully, the chain eventually snapped. Mark went flying back falling to the floor, Jaebum stumbled back against Jackson.

All eyes turned towards Mark as he got up and started to run, Jinyoung was quick to chase after him as Mark picked up speed heading for the main center of the observatory. A bright light started to come off him making it easier for him to be spotted through the thick display. Jaebum and Jackson chased after the two until a giant gust of wind knocked them all back a little. Stopping dead in his tracks, Jinyoung put his arms up to protect his eyes from the blinding light before it faded away. Cautiously, he put his arms back down to his side and walked a few steps closer, moving branches out of his way till he found Mark curled up in a ball by a tree trunk. Jinyoung took a few steps closer before he noticed it, the giant gorgeous wings, the color of his arms and neck, the clothing now covering his body. He had his head tucked between his legs, arms wrapped over his head for protection. He looked so scared, shaking slightly as he turned his face so it wasn’t pointing at Jinyoung. When Jaebum and Jackson got closer, they gasped, hands covering their mouths at the sight.

“Please… None of this was ever supposed to happen. I want to help. Please let me help.” Mark whimpered, moving his body some to bow at their feet. Jinyoung looked to the others in shock, kneeling down to get a better look at Mark.

“He’s a…. Zariflie.” Jackson said out loud.

Now, everything made sense.


	2. An Unexpected Surprise

“Have you heard from Jinyoung and Jaebum? It’s weird they haven’t come in yet today.” Youngjae looked around the room before his eyes fell to Bambam.

“They are working late, technical issues in Orange 4 I think.” Bambam shrugged, looking to the stranger at the far end of the bar that neither of them were familiar with before he looked to Youngjae. Nodding in understanding, he leaned back against the edge of the bar, wiping down the rugged countertops.

The two of them chatted casually, knowing to hold off on surface conversations with a stranger nearby. It took close to fifteen minutes for him to finally leave but they watched as the stranger finally got to his feet and started to stagger his way out the door. Tossing a few coins, Youngjae’s way before the door closed behind him. Youngjae rolled his eyes, adding them to his box before he turned to Bambam.

“How did they get out okay? I thought they were going in a few days. This is really soon.” He worried, chewing at his lower lip. Bambam shrugged, sitting upright some.

“I don’t know but they must have made it because nobody has heard from or seen them. They said something about having to go now, it was life or death. No reports of an outside escape, so they have to be safe… I hope.” Bambam worried, chewing his bottom lip before the door to the bar swung open. Bambam looked over at the door when it opened, eyes going wide at the sight.

“YUGYEOM!” Both Bambam and Youngjae yelled at the same time, rushing from the counter to wrap him up in a hug. The tired taller male hugged them both back before slumping down on the stool next to where Bambam was sitting.

Yugyeom had been gone for awhile but it looked as if he had been gone for years. The tired, violently purple bags under his eyes, the ripped state of his clothes. The way his shoes seemed to be encased in mud that would take ages to get off. Most people sent to the lowest level never made it out, despite only being sent for a ‘defined period of time’ the government found ways to get around that and hold them there.

“They let you free? Tell us everything, what happened?” Youngjae quickly poured Yugyeom a drink, setting it down on the counter.

“Time was up, had to do nine months. We haven’t been able to dig the last few weeks though, at least not down. Keep running into these weird white and gold root things? They said they were alien. Every time we try to cut them, these hard crystal things would shoot out and protect it. It’s like an infestation. They want to start digging outwards now.” Yugyeom rubbed the back of his sore neck, groaning even though the stiffness would likely be there for the next several months.

“They said they were finding them everywhere in Orange Zone and up on the first three floors.” Bambam sat back down, returning to his drink. Youngjae leaned against the back of the bar in deep thought.

“Where is everyone? It’s rare nobody is here after their shifts. I expected a big welcome!” Yugyeom looked around the empty bar, raising an eyebrow. A slight pout on his full lips.

“They uh… made it.” Bambam said in almost a whisper, almost as if he were making sure nobody truly was listening. At least there were no cameras in the bar, none that worked well anyway. Jaebum ensured they had a safe place to hang out, but that didn’t mean they were exactly safe.

“No fucking way!” Yugyeom gasped out, his eyes going wide as he looked from Bambam to Youngjae to see if they were being serious about it. The two of them nodded their heads to confirm they were serious before Yugyeom sank back in his chair in awe, quickly throwing back the drink Youngjae gave him in one gulp.

“They left at first bell.” Bambam played with the rim of his glass, looking to Yugyeom. Youngjae walked over and poured him another drink.

“Why? That’s such an odd time to go. How did they get away with it…Why would they go so soon?” Yugyeom sat up more, eyeing the two, still in such shock.

“Something about a message from above and needing to reply.” Bambam said, Youngjae looked over confused.

“Like they got a message from someone above? That’s impossible.” Yugyeom said, shifting up on his stool, looking from Youngjae to Bambam, as if he were trying to figure out what was going on.

“You said you guys found vines when you were digging?” Youngjae asked, Yugyeom nodded his head, pulling his phone from his pocket to show Youngjae pictures of what they had found.

Youngjae looked closer at the photo, using his fingers to zoom in to get a better look before he stood upright. Yugyeom looked confused for a moment before he put his phone away in his pocket, Bambam watched Youngjae for a moment before he rose up and off the stool, feeling an odd vibe coming off of their friend.

“Did they say anything more about whatever was messaging them from above?” Youngjae asked, looking towards Bambam, who shook his head no.

“Just that someone was up there, contacted them, and they needed to go see if he was okay. I think they said they would try to be back by the early hours… I don’t know how they would do that. If they don’t get back soon, they will get noticed.” Bambam sighed, moving to rub the back of his neck before he downed the rest of his drink. Youngjae looked pensive, deep in thought, in a spaced out sort of way, before he quickly ran into the back.

Bambam and Yugyeom looked at each other confused, their eyes full of wonder before they got up and went to go see what was going on. Youngjae normally never ran into the back like that, at least not without mumbling something about a drink needing to be checked. It was also off limits to everyone. Bambam had always wondered what was behind his makeshift door, they knew Youngjae lived in the bar, so they assumed it was just a room for him. Walking over carefully, both Bambam and Yugyeom peeked behind the curtain to see Youngjae moving a painting from the wall, generally they just covered up ugly patches in the already ugly makeshift walls, but this one had a hole in it. Youngjae looked into the hole and waited a second before a vine started to crawl out of it. Beautiful flowers coming to life as it threaded its way down the wall. Youngjae ran his fingers along the gold and white flower, almost familiar with it before he turned to look at Yugyeom and Bambam, who had finally walked inside.

“His eyes…” Bambam gasped.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The one thing the Zariflies were good at, was technology. They were able to whip up anything they could in a matter of seconds, using anything they had nearby. Their brains were so far advanced that little advances like phones and HD televisions were childs play to them. When the race first came here, they helped in advancing a lot of fields, not just technological but also medical; due to their vast understanding of how disease worked and what needs to be done to avoid and cure it. 

The discovery that Mark was one of them put everything into perspective. His knowledge about the vines, the way the crystals seemed to want to protect the dome, the way he was able to tap into everything and survive so long on his own. They had no idea that camouflage was possible, that was a new discovery that had them all silently wondering if there were others down below, in their world, stuck. Wanting to go home but unable to. The thought that they could use the crystals to hide and come off as regular humans made it one of those situations where you didn’t know who to trust or where to look.

Just how many other Zari’s were hidden in the underworld, scared out of their minds, wanting to help but not knowing how?

“Hey… I’m sorry, look.. I.. You can see why we’re all so angry about what happened right? You guys did this to us.” Jackson spoke softly, despite the anger he felt for the people who caused the end of the world, being face to face with one for the first time, was different. There was something so pure and trustworthy about Mark, or maybe that was the allure they used to get humans to trust them in the first place.

“None of this was supposed to happen, the attack was never sanctioned. Retaliation is not our thing. They were ordered to come home.” Mark whimpered, lifting his head slightly. Jinyoung frowned, getting to his knees as he inched closer to Mark.

“What do you mean?” Jinyoung asked, putting his hands on top of his thighs to show Mark he wasn’t going to go after him. He kept his distance.

“The orders after the ship was attacked was to pull away. That the human race wasn’t yet ready for what we had to show them. There was a ‘try again’ order where we would return in a hundred years and see if the human race was ready, at least those were the orders from the royal family. We weren’t supposed to attack, but whoever was here, wanted to show the world a lesson.” Mark sighed, moving to sit as Jinyoung was, to show his own peace.

“What happened to the guy that ordered the attack?” Jackson moved closer, getting down to sit near Jinyoung.

“He was tried as a war criminal when he returned, he’s locked up in prison now. I’ve been on earth back and forth for two years, trying to find a way to get communication with humans back, every scan from my ship showed that there was still life but when I arrived on the surface, I couldn’t find anyone. I didn’t know you all went underground. Humans are a resilient race.” Mark sighed, his wings starting to relax as he started to feel less scared.

“So what now? How come you guys didn’t come back to help?” Jaebum asked, leaning against the tree near Mark rather than bending down.

“The orders are to not return here for a hundred years, we only just learned the true extent of what happened on earth recently. That’s why I’m here, but I wanted to talk to humans first to see if there was any way of repairing the relationship between us enough to where you’d let us help and not try to enslave us. Not that it would work but, you never know.” Mark sighed, looking up towards Jaebum who still had his necklace clutched in his hand.

“You know the second anyone sees you, that’s exactly what they will do.” Jackson said, knowing that his own anger was a clear indication of how the others would feel and react.

“I know. That’s why I need help, why I tried to reach out to someone for so long. I figured if I could get them to come to me and hear my story, they might be able to help me reach the others. I came here and found Jinyoung’s office, reading all the books… you are someone that can help. Someone who knows what we must do. Your writing also shows you are very kind. I wanted to try and find you, that’s why I fixed the internet up here, and tried to get it wired through to down below. “ Mark sighed, moving to get himself more comfortable.

“You said you got here a few years ago?” Jaebum chimed in, Mark nodded his head softly.

“A few years ago I saw some soldiers trying to set up solar devices in the area, none of them survived the weather outside, but I was able to make them work before a second group found their bodies. I tried to plant the vines in an effort to help, we have them on my planet and I thought it would work with the oxygen, but I can’t get them fused. Instead, I’ve been using them to feed wires into your servers so I could talk to someone from up here.” Mark sighed, looking to Jaebum. He held out his hand for his necklace back. Jaebum took a moment to look it over before handing it back.

“Thank you.” Mark bowed his head before he slipped it back around his neck. The crystal started to glow as Mark’s skin started to fade back to that of a humans. His hair became shorter, wings started to shrink, embedding themselves under his skin in what looked like a tattoo. It took a few moments for the clothes to appear, before Mark felt comfortable standing upright again. He tucked the necklace into his shirt and brushed himself off.

“I can survive out there just fine. The air is that of my own planets. Oxygen doesn’t bother us, though it makes us weaker until we get used to it, that’s why they changed the air. To give us an advantage but human lungs are not able to adapt to the world around them easily.” Mark sighed. Jinyoung got to his feet as well, eyeing Mark cautiously.

“Do you really think this plant thing can work?” Jackson asked, moving to get up.

“I don’t know but I don’t see another option. There is no way to introduce oxygen back into the earth. Did you guys take any animals down below? How are you keeping the oxygen inside?” Mark seemed to have his own slew of questions.

“We created a barrier of metal and concrete to prevent the oxygen from getting out, the further down we dug, the easier it became for us. All to fit and adapt. We had actually started when you guys first came out of fear, thinking an attack would happen, the underground world seemed easier for us. First we started in underground malls, underground car garages, and just kept going down.” Jaebum explained, Mark nodded his head in understanding.

“The vines are helping probably, They get into any crack and hole they can find and try to seal it from breaking, I noticed a lot of them dug down deep once I introduced them to the surface.” Mark moved through the forest more, leading the three humans towards the garden he’d grown.

“You brought them here? But why. Why did you even come after all was said and done?” Jackson asked, following behind Mark.

“We were told one story of what happened, and then the truth about earth came out after the royal family went through a mourning period. After the trial was said and done, I came to see for myself the extent to know what could be done. You guys don’t take long to get to.” Mark shrugged, moving around the vast garden he’d created.

Jinyoung eyed it in awe, kneeling down to run his fingers along the plants growing in the fresh soil. He loved to garden, it made him so happy. The sight of this warmed his heart, to think that a world where he could garden again existed, was too much to bare. 

“You have the mint so close to the other things.” Jinyoung pointed out and Mark sighed.

“I didn’t know what that was, but it has taken over everything.” Mark huffed, moving to pull some of the mint from the garden and move it to a different pile, where he’d been picking herbs earlier in the day.

“So you want to come underground with us and find a way to reach the main vine?” Jaebum asked, careful where he was stepping before he went to look around at all the food Mark had stocked up from his garden.

“I would like to find a way to infuse oxygen into a vine in hopes that it could hybrid with the others and would produce oxygen into the atmosphere, rather than just working under our normal atmosphere.” Mark explained as he brushed his hands off on a nearby rag.

“The crystals that grow out of it are a result of the air right?” Jinyoung asked, thinking to himself as he helped pull fresh vegetables from the garden, Mark nodded in reply.

“They turn crystal in the air, they are flowers in their own way but the chemical makeup of them makes them hard the second they leave the vine in trouble areas to protect the flowers. Earth is still settling, so they don’t feel safe here.” Mark explained.

“If you find a way to infuse regular plants with the vines, would it turn the crystals into flowers?” Jackson looked at the three of them in the garden, finding it amusing how happy Jinyoung looked in the dirt.

“Correct, and if everything works the way it’s supposed to when that happens, it would start producing oxygen… Hopefully. It wouldn’t be a fast process, but it might work at rebuilding the atmosphere, if the vines are strong enough.” Mark added, pushing his hair from his eyes.

“So the whole human look thing, doesn’t change the hair?” Jaebum asked, cocking his head to the side, looking at Mark.

“No. I’m not sure how to hide that. Though humans have every color hair, so I didn’t think I’d stand out that much.” Mark laughed, looking up at the storm swirling around the glass dome.

“Not these days, it’s impossible to do anything other than cut hair, though some still have what was colored hair that faded over time.” Jackson ran his fingers through his hair, making a face.

“Well that’s why we need to fix things. You humans will be okay. You guys, though few, survived. That means you’ll rebuild. I will help in any way I can. You should all go rest, I’m sure you need it before we head back to where you started.” Mark looked up at them and smiled, the three agreed. 

The day had been exhausting. From walking to the gardens to dealing with everything, a good rest was exactly what they needed. Jaebum and Jackson made their way for the guest area, having seen a few sofa-like chairs that would make for great beds. Jinyoung lingered behind, moving to kneel next to Mark. Turning to look at him, Mark offered a gentle smile, his eyes full of kindness.

“Do you not want to rest?” Mark asked, his hands moving to his lap as his body shifted slightly to better face Jinyoung.

“I do. But I’ve waited so long to be in a place like this again, I feel like… I just got here and already we’re leaving. Is it okay if I stay with you for a while and help? I just want to get my hands in the soil again… Which sounds weird since I live in the soil but I don’t get to work with it.” Jinyoung was rambling, but Mark seemingly didn’t care. He just had a warm smile on his face as Jinyoung spoke.

It was weird to Jinyoung, feeling as if his obsession with soil and plants wasn’t a weird thing. That he wasn’t being judged for wanting to sit there and plant. Even people in his field would tease his dedication, but Mark didn’t seem to care. He just handed over a few packages of seeds and let Jinyoung happily do his thing. The two sat there for what felt like hours, replotting and organizing the garden to fit all the new variety of vegetables and herbs. Jinyoung rattling on about soil to water ratios and how to make it so each kind of plant could live in a shared space. Mark was happy to listen and learn. Though he already knew most of what Jinyoung was teaching, he figured it had been a while since he was allowed to be passionate, so he wasn’t about to prevent his enjoyment.

When he started to feel sleepy, Jinyoung finally tapped out, stretching his body some before he rubbed his tired eyes. Mark looked over and giggled at the dirt now running along Jinyoung’s face. He moved to dip a towel in water, ringing the excess out before he walked over carefully, wiping Jinyoung’s cheek. Mark’s fingertips tilting his head softly as he managed to get most of the dirt cleaned up. Jinyoung’s eyes focused up on Mark’s own. He offered a smile of thanks before watching Mark use the clean side of the towel to clean the dirt off his hands for him.

“You’re very kind, I’ve never met a Zari before, but… I feel as if what you said in regards to the attack...That it really wasn’t the plan. I spent so long hating your kind, because of what was done to the earth. What was done to the plants. But that wasn’t you right? You truly do want to help.” Jinyoung looked at Mark, his words soft as his eyes scanned his face. Mark nodded his head gently, letting out a sad sigh.

“From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry for what happened here on earth. I cried many nights when I got here, seeing the devastation that we caused. If you and I can work together, if this works… I truly think the earth can be saved.” Mark gave Jinyoung a reassuring smile, bowing his head politely before he got up to clean himself off. Jinyoung watched him for a moment before he got up, stretching his tired limbs above his head.

“You may go rest in your office, you can use that bed tonight. I have no need for it.” Mark added. Jinyoung looked at him carefully before bowing his head and taking his leave.

Getting back to his office, Jinyoung took a bit of time to reorganize his journals. He saw how Mark had scribbled notes in the sidelines of some of the books. Pointing things out that Jinyoung had never thought of before. Sinking down against the makeshift bed Mark had created, Jinyoung felt the exhaustion truly set into his bones. The second his eyes fluttered shut, he was out, falling into a deep and comfortable sleep. He had wanted to try and stay up so he could work some more on what Mark had been talking about, but the long day started to catch up to him.

When he awoke several hours later, he noticed a blanket had been put over him, and a pillow had been put behind his head. Blinking confused, he saw Jaebum tapping his foot, telling him it was time for them to head out. Yawning to himself, Jinyoung nodded his head, pushing the blanket off his body before he got to his feet, grabbing the mask portion of his suit that he’d left on the desk from their arrival. Heading out of the room with Jaebum and Jackson, Jinyoung looked around trying to see where Mark could be. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed he was nowhere to be found. Looking towards the entrance, he saw that the protective padding had been removed and set back to the side. Sliding his mask on, he made sure everything was secure before he took a final look at the building. 

His heart hurt thinking about leaving all of the beautiful plants again but he knew they needed to get back before they were caught. The last thing they needed was for Bambam to be taken by the police because his roommates had vanished. Jackson and Jaebum joined in on his side, the three starting to walk away from the building before they saw something in the sky heading their way. Their first instinct was to run, to hide, but Jinyoung stood his place. Landing by his feet in a graceful swoop, Mark smiled brightly at them, bowing his body politely. He was transformed back to his true form, wings in all their glory, seemingly glowing in the early sun, casting an almost rainbow-like shadow on the ground below them. As he walked closer to them, his wings tucked closer to his body, shrinking down about half their size; Jinyoung was in awe at the true beauty of his anatomy. The gold tattoo looking lines running along the left side of his body, peaking out of the flowing white material every time he took a step. He was gorgeous.

Jinyoung found himself a bit tongue tied.

“I wanted to get out early and make sure the way was clear for you three. The storm was small, it didn’t create much chaos. I created a safe path for you guys.” Mark explained, Jaebum and Jackson nodded their heads in understanding.

“Are you not coming with us? The whole reason we came was your cry for help.” Jackson asked, knowing he hadn’t been the most polite guest, but he felt a worry about Mark being there on his own.

“Come.. with you guys? Underground? That is probably not safe for me at all.” Mark’s eyes went wide at the thought.

“You can help down there, please. Nobody has to know. You can stay with us!” Jaebum offered, a weird way of hoping that Mark would forgive him for his behavior.

“It’s not safe for you like this, but if you hide. You have the crystal right?” Jinyoung reminded, Mark nodded his head, pulling it out of a pocket none of them even noticed he had. Holding it out, Jinyoung took it carefully in his hands, his fingers ran along the smooth crystal before he put it in his own pocket for safe keeping.

“I don’t know if this will work, but maybe being down there will help me see a better way at saving you all.” Mark sighed, knowing it was a big risk for him but if Jinyoung were to stay by his side, he felt a little more comfortable.

“Come. Please.” Jinyoung moved closer to Mark, their eyes locking for a few moments before Mark nodded his head. He couldn’t say no for some reason.

From there, they started to walk, Jaebum and Jackson explaining how their entire system worked so that Mark would be able to fit in easier. It’s not that the people down there had a giant understanding of how their new world worked, but over time you started picking up on things that became routine. Mark seemed perplexed about the new way of life, more so because he couldn’t fathom a world in the dark. To him, the sun was the most important part of earth's beauty. Jinyoung was inclined to agree, but there were no other options. 

Getting to a roadblock that must have happened recently, Mark sighed. Moving closer to the obstruction, he bent down and ran his fingers through the sand like debris on the ground, he said a few words asking for help from the vines and stood up. Where his fingers had been, a small vine peaked out, sliding around until it found the smashed cars in question and pushed them all out of the way for them. The three humans watched in awe at how easily that little vine looped into the metal of the car and lifted it away from their path, creating a safe walking space, understanding more of what Mark meant when he said they were there to protect and help.

“How did you do that?” Jaebum gasped, watching everything happen before his eyes in total awe. 

“I asked politely.” Mark smiled, bending down to run his fingers along the vine in thanks before moving to start walking again. 

“So they only listen to you?” Jinyoung asked once they were through, Mark shook his head no in reply.

“They are sensitive things, they will listen to anyone that respects the soil and them. You just have to ask politely.” Mark explained like it was the easiest thing in the world, Both Jackson and Jaebum looked at Mark like he was insane.

“He didn’t say anything though, you didn’t say anything!” Jackson said, taking a look back at the vines before he bent down and ran his fingers through the sand just as Mark had done, but nothing happened like it had done with Mark. He huffed, walking away to follow after Mark and the others still mumbling under his breath about the vines.

“Our language isn’t heard by humans. It was weird when we first came here, learning how to speak like you all do. So many languages, so many tones. Back home, it’s one planet, one language. Everything in unified.” Mark smiled, but it wasn’t a full smile. There was sadness, a homesick look about him that Jinyoung noticed.

“Would humans be able to live on your planet?” Jinyoung asked, moving to stand closer to Mark’s side, more so out of safety than anything.

“Probably? We can breathe whatever air we encounter even if the earth’s oxygen isn’t normal for us. Kind of headache-like at first, getting adjusted to it. There could probably be area’s and centers created if humans wanted to come live among us. Though humanity’s need for conquering is worrisome. I would be scared having humans would lead to an eventual war.” Mark frowned, and as much as they all wanted to deny it, the state of the earth was a clear indication that he was right.

All it took was one ill informed, uneducated nightmare, to end humanity as they all knew it. They could only imagine what would happen if given the opportunity to live someplace new. The wrong people would snap and find some way to try and take over, though if what happened to the earth wasn’t a full attack, it was clear the Zariflies were not anything to mess with. 

Their walk to the entrance took another three hours, it was getting dark by the time the bay door came into view. Everything seemed as it was, a small layer of sand had built up around the door from the storm. Mark flew up a little and used his wings to blow it away, Jinyoung and the three watched in awe at his power before he landed. Jaebum walked over and waved the kemni tool to grant them access to the underworld of theirs. Mark put the charm back around his neck, letting his body transform back into its human form. He tucked the chain under his shirt and smoothed back his hair. Jinyoung watched him as the door locked behind them. The air was neutralized and the door was opened.

Luckily there were still no repairs on the unit that would alert anyone the doors were being opened and closed, they quickly got inside and got the suits back into their proper hangers. Mark walked over to the side where all the computer operations were and furrowed his brows at how broken everything looked. Was this really the world they were reduced to?

He was in for quite the surprise.

“We aren’t allowed up here outside of work, we have to sneak back in the way we came.” Jinyoung stated, looking up to a clock to see it was nearing final bell. Jaebum quickly fixed the wires and the four ran for the elevators. Jinyoung, Jackson and Mark climbing down the hatch just in time. The door locked as Jaebum moved to walk to the elevator door and press the button to call it up. Hands in his pocket, he looked as an officer walked over, clearly on his rounds.

“Got the security up and running if you wanna tell control. Whole sector was down, something ate the wires again.” Jaebum flashed his badge so the officer knew he was allowed there before nodding his head.

“That’s four times this month, we have to set better traps out.” The officer shook his head before walking off down a hallway. Jaebum let out a laugh as the doors finally opened. He was quick to hear the thud of the three above him as he got on. Killing the camera’s to let Jinyoung and them into the elevator as they made their way back down to their approved floor.

“You guys have a lot set up down here, how long have you been digging?” Mark was the one in awe now, opening the control panel on the side of the elevator to look around a bit, he quickly moved several of the wires around, making the lift run a lot smoother and sound a lot less noisy. Jinyoung looked to Jackson in awe before Mark put the paneling back and stood to the side. He looked at the three just gawking at him and covered his mouth some.

“I’m sorry! I can’t help it… Everything is done so primitive, I wanted to help.” Mark giggled to himself.

Shaking his head, unable to help but laugh, Jinyoung leaned back against the elevator as it took them all the way down to their approved levels. Stepping out, they heard the bell go off. Some people stood outside their rooms chatting, but not many today. It seemed less and less people reported for check-in times, not seeing a need with how unchanging their world was. Jinyoung and the others, instead of heading for the apartment, went straight for the bar. The safest place to have Mark for the time being. 

A little early to be at the bar that was for sure, but the open light was still on, which raised some questions. Walking inside the bar cautiously, Jinyoung and Jackson saw Bambam and Yugyeom asleep at the bar. The door shutting behind them startled the two awake. They looked around confused before their eyes landed on the four that had just walked in.

“Yugyeom!” Jinyoung gasped, running over to his friend to embrace him in a giant hug. Yugyeom sleepily returning the hug back before he moved to look at the stranger.

“No fucking way. Did you find him?” Yugyeom asked, Jinyoung looked confused before turning to look at Mark.

“Him?? Yes uh.. He was uh.. The one trapped.” Jinyoung said cautiously, not sure how to go about talking to them in regards to Mark. 

Youngjae came out of the back to see what all the noise was. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked confused before his eyes fell on everyone standing in the doorway. Bambam seemed a bit uneasy around Youngjae which was new given how close they had always been, Youngjae’s eyes scanned through his friends before his eyes landed on Mark, gasping to himself, he ran around the counter towards his friends before falling to his knees at their feet.

Jaebum looked confused, moving closer to Youngjae. He put his hand on his back to try and get him back to his feet, confused as to why he’d be on his knees in front of all of them like that. Watching as vines slid out of the back room and started to cover all the windows and areas that showed light. Mark looked around for a moment before moving past Jackson carefully, to stand right by Youngjae. Youngjae bowed his head down to the ground.

“You’re okay. I thought… Your highness, you’re okay.” Youngjae whimpered, Mark bit his lip before he moved to remove his necklace. Jinyoung yelled for him not to as Mark transformed, the lights unseen to the outside because of the vines.

Youngjae looked up and watched in awe, reaching into his shirt to pull out his own crystal, he removed it from his neck and let himself transform to his true self as well. Everyone watched in awe at the way they phased, noting how Youngjae’s wings were much smaller and less vibrant compared to Mark’s. They held more gold to them, almost armor like in a way as were his clothes. Youngjae was as gorgeous as ever, though not as regal looking as Mark was. He looked more a warrior than anything, gold tattoos covered his entire multicolored body as he got to his feet and moved closer to Mark. He held his hand out and Mark gripped his forearm. Youngjae smiled wide before their heads pressed together gently.

“My… King? I’m sorry to hear about your father. He had many milena of peace, may your reign be as calm as his was.” Youngjae said, kissing Mark’s forehead. Everyone looked around confused. Bambam sliding off the stool to walk closer. Mark just smiled wide and cupped Youngjae’s cheek happily.

“I’m glad you survived, I don’t know what I would do if you were truly lost, my old friend. Help me fix this world so we can go home. I made a promise to the people I would right what we had done.” Mark stated, letting go of Youngjae’s arm to think some. His wings vanishing down, looking like gold tattoos on his back. Youngjae did the same, sinking down on a bar stool.

“What is going on?” Yugyeom asked, mouth still hung agape.

“You’re a king?” Jinyoung asked in shock. Mark turned to look at him quickly. Youngjae got up in surprise.

“You heard us talking?” Youngjae asked, Jinyoung gulped but nodded some. 

“Sir, it worked.” Youngjae smiled wide, rushing back behind the counter to pull up a somewhat peachy gold drink, setting it down on the table. Mark walked over and looked at the liquid before turning to Jinyoung.

“Have you drank this?” Mark asked, Jinyoung looked confused before nodding his head.

“I think so.. I don’t know what he gives me.” Jinyoung let out a nervous whimper, walking over to the counter to smell the liquid before groaning at the memories.

“Yeah, he gave me that a few times.” Jinyoung remembered all the drunk nights they spent in the bar where Youngjae made them try different things he concocted. Mark moved to Jinyoung and raised his hands up.

“Can I do something? I promise I won't hurt you.” Mark asked, and as scared as he was, Jinyoung nodded in consent.

Mark moved to put his fingers on Jinyoung’s face. By his temple and near his eyes. He closed his own eyes for a moment. Little gold markings started to show up on Jinyoung’s face and his exposed arms. Opening his eyes, they flashed a similar purple color to Youngjae and Mark’s own, though not as bright as theirs. Jackson walked over and looked in awe, poking at Jinyoung’s skin.

“You can hear me, you can understand me?” Mark asked, Jinyoung nodded his head. 

“How… how is this possible.” Jinyoung whimpered, pulling back from Mark to look at the markings on his skin. 

“The juice… I made it from the flowers on the vines and other things I have from home. It infused into you. I’m sorry, I wanted… to see if I could bring some of us into them... Maybe we could save them by bringing them home to us, give them a second chance, while we teach them how to fix their world.” Youngjae looked upset, more so because he knew what he was doing was wrong. Mark sighed, pulling his hands from Jinyoung. The gold on his body started to fade before you couldn’t tell it was there at all.

“This means if I go to your world, I’d survive…” Jinyoung asked, Mark chewed his lips some, a bit unsure. 

“Not sure about that, you don’t look or act anything like us, but then again you don’t act anything like a normal human.” Mark commented. 

“What does that mean?” Bambam asked, moving closer to look at the small purple strand of hair near jinyoung’s forehead that stayed from when Mark touched him.

“He is rational, even tempered, calm… he doesn’t have an appetite for war rather a mind on how to fix things, not conquer. A trait very painfully human.” Youngjae added, moving to put the mix back under the counter. Jaebum moved to rest his hands on the bar, looking at him.

“I want to try that stuff, I want to drink it. If Jinyoung goes anywhere, we all go. Nobody is leaving his side for a place he doesn’t know.” Jaebum made clear. Youngjae looked nervously to Mark, who shrugged. 

“Nobody is going anywhere, any time soon. We have to do all we can here first.” Mark made clear.

“Will this stuff hurt me… or them? Will I become like you?” Jinyoung asked, reaching out to grab Mark’s wrist lightly. The gold marking on his skin came back from touching Mark, looking down at his hand, he looked up to meet eyes with Mark’s own.

“Please tell me I’ll be okay.” Jinyoung’s voice was so full of fear. Mark moved to cup Jinyoung’s cheek with his other hand, nodding his head yes.

“I promise nothing will happen to you guys. I came here to see what I can fix, I just hope it can be done without having to go home and get more things, but the state of earth is far worse than I could have imagined.” Mark frowned as he spoke, even if he never ordered it to happen, he felt responsible for not being more careful.

“So that’s what you meant… on the surface when you said this was never supposed to happen. You know because you gave the orders?” Jackson asked, moving to finally sit on the bar stool. 

“I didn’t, my father did. He’s been king for quite some time. He gave the order for all that were on earth to come home, but was not prepared for the attack on his own people when they did. Something about being here made them turn, made them angry. We’re not…” Mark sank down in a nearby chair and rubbed his eyes. Youngjae rushed over and knelt down near him, resting his cheek on Mark’s thigh.

“The commander went back and killed his father, tried to take the planet over. He was stopped and dealt with rather quickly. I stayed on earth by orders of Mark, he wanted me to keep an eye on the humans and report back, but our link got broken and I’ve been stuck here living as a human. I was his… assistant, I guess you could say.” Youngjae sighed, looking up to Mark who reached over and put Youngjae’s necklace back around his neck for him. Youngjae changed into the human version of him, tugging his beanie on to hide his purple hair.

“Explains why you’re never without that hat.” Bambam laughed, shaking his head some. 

“The hair won't change. I also can’t show my arms, they don’t go away.” Youngjae pushed the sleeves of his sweater up to show the still glowing gold marks. Bambam ran his fingers over them before Youngjae swatted him away and pulled his sleeves back down.

“You had to infuse the crystal with human DNA in order to get the markings to go away, similar to this situation, where they can be seen if we come in contact with each other, but not to the naked eye.” Mark waved his own crystal around, Youngjae rolled his eyes, acting as if he were mimicking Mark but quickly stopped when he remembered who it was..

“Do I look like I’m infusing any human DNA these days?” Youngjae replied before remembering what he said. He coughed to clear his throat as his face turned a dark shade of red. Both Mark and Jinyoung snickered to themselves.

“Do you want to?” Jaebum offered, giving Youngjae a sly smile. Youngjae just tossed a rag his way and folded his arms over his chest.

“Humans would never be able to keep up with us.” Youngjae rolled his eyes. Mark just smiled silently on the side, leaning against the bar as he carefully put his necklace back on, letting his body change into the human version of himself gracefully. He cracked his neck when it was done, the gold markings on his arm the last to fade out as the vines covering the doors retreated back into the ground, revealing the little windows once again. 

“It’s been a long day, we should rest properly.” Jinyoung sighed, knowing it was early but everything that had happened in the last forty-eight hours took a toll on his body.

“I still haven’t gotten that drink.” Jaebum reminded, looking to Youngjae, who sighed. He moved to grab the correct jug and poured all of them a drink. Mark raised an eyebrow, moving to look down at the cup before picking it up. The drink glowed in his hand, he could see the little flecks of gold in the mix from the vines that Youngjae used to create the mix. Everyone watched before picking up their drinks, quickly finishing them. Mark sighed, setting his cup back down and pushing it towards Jinyoung.

“I want you safe if anything happens.” Mark said in his language, Jinyoung looked up a little confused but he took the cup anyway and drank it down. He made a face as the less than appeasing liquid slid down his throat, setting the cup down with his other one before he moved towards the door.

Even if they had work, Jinyoung felt like doing anything but. He walked to the nearest command computer and input his information. It wasn’t much, some wires and a computer hooked into the wall, almost like old style payphones, where workers could check in and ask for help. He reported himself sick, taking the day off. When he got approval, he logged out and shut the system down. Jaebum didn’t need to bother, he could easily work from his room and did more often than not. His distaste for public interaction well documented during his arrest.

“So how does all of this down here work?” Mark asked, looking around. Jaebum nudged his shoulder and shook his head no, pulling the hood section of his hoodie over Mark’s shoulder, doing his best to cover his vibrant purple strands. 

“When we get back.” Jinyoung commented without saying anything more on the subject and Mark wondered what they were so scared of. Everyone seemed too scared to say anything, people talking in hushed whispers, not looking at any of the cameras. He kept quiet for now, but he couldn’t deny the observations. The human race was scared, but of what, he had no idea.

Being lead down to their apartment unit, Mark noted the sea of wires everywhere. The messy trail leading to the living room section, up the crumbling walls and towards another closed door. Jaebum made straight for the door everything seemed to be threaded through. Typing in a code, Mark could briefly see the sights of a bedroom setup behind the newly opened doors before they sealed shut.

“He will be working for a few hours to make sure nobody saw us go in and out.” Jinyoung said as he moved to his own unit, typing in his code, he walked in once the door was open. Mark followed behind, taking a good careful calculated look at everything. 

It wasn’t until he saw the plant on the desk, did he step further inside, the bay doors closing behind him as he walked the expanse over towards the small flower sitting on Jinyoung’s desk. Fingers carefully sliding along the soft petals before he bent down to smell it. Jinyoung watched in awe, his heart light at the sight of Mark seemingly so taken by flowers. A relatable feeling. 

“Been a long time since I’ve seen one of these.” Mark smiled brightly, giving the plant some water before he watched it’s petals open more in thanks. 

“I don’t know what it is. I found it years ago and brought it home with me. Have been keeping it alive in that little pot ever since. Weather doesn’t bother it, lives all year long. No idea what it is.” Jinyoung sank down in his computer chair, chewing his lower lip in thought. 

“Apollus” Mark said softly, smiling even more as he leaned on the desk, a wave of his hand showed small little vines sprouting from the inside of the plot, making the flower stand up stronger. 

“Alien?!” Jinyoung gaped, sitting closer to watch.

“This is what the vines really have growing. The crystals you see are to protect the flower. Inside every crystal are these flowers. If the environment outside is tolerable enough, the crystals are not necessary on my planet, there are fields of these flowers cascading over mountains and it is beautiful. They were my mothers favorite, so my father made sure to plant them everywhere for her.” Mark had a sad somewhat far-off look in his eyes at the mention of his mother, but it was apparent he wouldn’t be sharing his pain with how quickly he brushed it off and smiled at Jinyoung.

“Your home… it sounds so beautiful, do you think that perhaps if we are unable to save the earth that humans would be able to live among you guys?” Jinyoung turned to see Mark easier, weird how despite knowing his rank and feeling as if he should be more formal with him, there was this unspoken comfort between them. 

“Maybe when the human race grows and sheds it’s violent shell we could talk about it. My planet is not perfect and I am sure the worst is not over yet… but I am not ready to introduce a new species and risk having you guys try to dominate us, enough blood has been spilled. I won't subject my kind to more.” Mark tried to put it politely but Jinyoung knew that he was basically saying that humans, in all their war and rage, their hate and prejudice, that they had a long ways to go with negotiations of a peaceful nature. Jinyoung couldn’t fault Mark for his words, he agreed with him.

Jinyoung only nodded his head, moving towards the bed to lay down carefully among the lumpy cot. He looked up at the painted ceiling and sighed. The ache in his bones and the drinks from Youngjae’s shop had him feeling the last few days all at once. He felt strange at the thought of being able to adapt as the Zari’s could, the way Youngjae had been hiding among them this entire time without anyone noticing. Eyes scanning down, he took in Mark, who seemed busy working on the wires in his room, fussing around to make everything a lot more stable and secure, as if he couldn’t rest until it was fixed. Admirable of him.

Jinyoung had never spent time with the Zari’s to truly get to know their kind, and he was sure, like humans, there were many different types of Zari’s, but if even half of them were like Mark; maybe being changed over wasn’t such a bad thing after all. The kindness and compassion Mark was showing had him in awe.

“How old are you?” Jinyoung asked, cocking his head to the side. Mark turned to look at him, leaning against Jinyoung’s desk some.

“Old.” Mark said with a smile, his arms crossing over his chest.

“Come on, what does that mean? Do you guys have immortal lives or something?” Jinyoung smirked, rolling over onto his side to see Mark without having to strain his neck.

“No, but it feels like it. We age roughly one year for every one hundred human years. So if I had to give myself a human age, I would be closest to 24 years old?” Mark itched at the back of his head, Jinyoung sat up in shock, his jaw hanging slightly. 

“You’re 2,400 years old. That’s like… for the love of Christ. Does that mean all those alien markings in South America really are you guys?” Jinyoung was beyond amazed, now sitting fully upright.

“They are us, yeah, kind of land markers so we know where we need to be going.” Mark laughed, cocking his head to the side. 

“Funny how you humans were always obsessed with war, but back then from what my father told me, it wasn’t as bad as it is now. That in recent years the fight for power became more deadly and brutal. He wanted to try to come here and help calm things down, give the humans a chance at making something amazing with what they have, rather than being blinded by skin color and the need for power.” Mark sighed, pushing himself off the counter to move and sit next to Jinyoung.

“I want to see your world so badly now, tell me about it… please?” Jinyoung turned his body, making room for Mark on the small bed. His head leaning against the back wall.

“It’s like this earth, rivers, oceans, areas of land; though twice as big as earth is. The waters are red, the sands are white. We have gorgeous creatures living among us, free to run around as nature intended them to, our cities are not giant stone buildings set into the foundation. Most of our buildings are up in the sky, floating.” Mark smiled at the thought of home.

“Not all Zari’s can fly, so there is an intricate rail system connecting everything together, we don’t have those giant airplanes like humans do, though we have ships that can fly through the world. The seasons are about the same, it gets hot, it gets cold. Though we don’t have snow? You and two other planets have snow.” Mark loved to talk about home, it made him miss it the more he spoke about it, but he knew that Jinyoung was curious and who was he to be bottled up. His faith in humanity not entirely lost.

“So there are others, not just the Zari’s and the humans?”Jinyoung was in awe at the thought, chewing his lower lip some as he allowed his eyes to scan Mark, truly noticing the subtle differences between him and a true human, the things he wasn’t able to hide even with the stone around his neck.

“Oh there are tons. Planets and planets of different species. Some older than mine, some younger. Earth is the newest one we have on record, which I think is why we wanted to help so much. Because if you all learn peace as we have over our time, you will thrive like we do. Earth has so many resources that make you very valuable, but humans seem to underestimate the true beauty of your planet.” Mark looked up at Jinyoung, catching him looking him over, which made him smirk. Moving carefully, he pulled the stone from his neck, letting the chain and crystal fall to the bed. Jinyoung covered his eyes as the transformation light blinded the room before he looked back to Mark.

“You can touch, it’s okay.” Mark had seemingly read Jinyoung’s mind.

“You sure?” Jinyoung asked, waiting for Mark to nod his head before hesitant hands reached out and felt along the skin. 

Jinyoung thought it being almost translucent it would have a sticky feeling to it, but it felt like he was running his hand along the fuzz of a peach. Impossibly soft, free of hair. The gold tattoos he found were embedded into the skin, not laying on the surface like he’d originally thought. His fingers trailed up to the crown on the top of Mark’s head, crystals grew from his scalp. He watched them retract back into the amethyst colored hair. Gasping to himself, Jinyoung felt the softness of the strands. The entire time he was making contact with Mark, the gold tattoos on his own skin started to come back out, littering the left side of his body just like Mark had on his.

“How come Youngjae has gold symbols all over his skin and you don’t?” Jinyoung asked, pulling his hand away before he allowed himself to touch any further, keeping his inspection up with his eyes, though as he noticed the ever changing pattern in Mark’s skin almost as if you had dropped a bath bomb into the water and watched the colors start to infuse.

“He is a soldier, his family are soldiers, his ancestors are as well. The markings show what your position and rank is. Each new generation will get it’s own seal. Since there have been so many, he’s more covered. My family has held power for as long as time can tell. We are pure bloods, so we don’t have much of a story to tell.” Mark moved to flip his arm over, pointing to an odd shape on his forearm.

“That’s new though, and matches the one you have. I don’t know what it means, the letter doesn’t exist in our language.” Mark moved to run his fingers along Jinyoung’s skin, noting the way they had a matching ruin in the same exact place.

“Maybe you were destined for this, to forgo human life and come back to Ludus and live happily.” Mark laughed, moving to take some of his long braids out. They had been messed up over the last few changes, and he was itching to get his hair back in some type of order.

“Ludus? That’s a Greek word, it means playful love.” Jinyoung said in awe, unable to tear his eyes away from Mark.

“Where do you think they got most of their language from? Almost all of the older languages came from us.” Mark smirked, and it did make sense. Their name was ancient African, their planet name ancient Greek. It made Jinyoung wonder just how many more signs there were scattered through history, that the Zari’s had come to try and help. 

“Is that really why you came back? After seeing humans mess up century after century, wouldn’t you just want to give up on us?” Jinyoung sighed, finally looking away from Mark. He picked up the crystal and started to spin it with his fingers.

“No. Because when our race was very young, we had a lot of help from others as well. At first we thought they were trying to take over but then we learned peace. There were wars, deaths, it took a long time for us to see the good and light. I feel as if earth is similar to us, and that you guys in time, will grow. Humans are a resilient little bunch, I haven’t given up hope yet.” Mark smiled wide.

Jinyoung was about to talk when the door to his room opened, a rather distressed looking Jaebum rushed into the room with a tablet in his hand. He set it down on the bed before rubbing his face.

“We have a problem…” Jaebum groaned, looking down at the footage that showed police in another sector pushing Youngjae up against a wall, ripping his beanie cap off. Youngjae looked as if he were trying to fight it but he was restrained before he could do anything. Mark sat upright, a worried look on his face.

“We have to help him. I can’t have my commander be tested on. They can’t know about him.” Mark went into a panic, snatching the crystal to put it back around his neck. His change happening as he ran out of the room. Jinyoung bolted after him, grabbing Mark before he could get out the door.

“You will get killed if you go out there like this, just wait. Let us think of something together.” Jinyoung got Mark back against the wall, preventing him from running out of the apartment.

“He was here to help, here because I told him to stay. If anything happens to him, it’s my fault.” Mark whimpered, looking at Jinyoung with worried eyes.

“I won't let a single thing happen to us, do you trust me?” Jinyoung asked, Mark studied his face for a moment before slowly nodding his head yes.

“Good, come on.”

**Author's Note:**

> you all know what to do! let me know if you liked it, what your thoughts are. start a conversation with me here or on twitter @daddyafmarkjin. i love you all so much, thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and supporting.


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